Incubator-brooder system.



H. CHARLESWORTH.

INCUBATOR BROODER SYSTEM.

APPLlCATlON FILED DEC-10.1915. 1 197 343 PatentedSept. 5, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

WITNESSES fv? 1105M afma.

A YTOR/VEYS H. CHARLESWORTH.

mews/won BROODER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 10, 915- v 1 1 9343, Patented Sept. 5, 1916.-

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES Y //v1//vr0/? H. CHARLESWORTH.

INCUBATOR BROODEH SYSTEM.

APPLICATION men 020.10,:911

PatentedSept. 5, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 WITNESSES M @ym A TOHN E Y8 HARRY CHABLESWORTH, OF MOUNT-KISCO, NEW YORK..

INGUBATOR-BROODER SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application filed December 10, 1915. Serial No. 66,081.

which may be used either as a brooder or as an incubator at will.

Another object in view is to provide an improved arrangement of hovers and associated parts together with a single-heating element arranged to 'heat each of the hovers and associated parts and to supply toeach hover the necessary heat for that particular hover independently of the supply of heat to the remaining hovers.

A still further object in view is to provide a system of hoversor brooders which are independent of each other but are heated from a single source, the various brooders or incubators being associated with a regulating device for turning on and off. the heat from the single supply so that each brooder or incubator will be maintained at the temperature desired.

A still further object in view is to provide a heating arrangement whereby a single source may supply a number of heating units spaced apart,which units are independently controlled by thermostatic members adjacent the respective heating units, whereby a brooder or incubator associated therewith may be maintained at the proper temperature irrespective of e temperature of the next adjacent heating unit. In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a diagram of a system of brooders, certain parts bein shown in section and other parts in side e ovation, the entire arrangementdisclosing an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through one of the brooders and associated parts, thesame being on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the brooder shown in Fig. 2, the same being on a reduced scale; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing an incubator attachment applied to the brooder; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 4:, certain parts being broken away for better illustrating the structure of the incubator.

In the accompanying drawings an em bodiment of the invention is disclosed which illustrates a brooder and also an incubator. Various changes and rearrangements may be made and also the proportions may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention, as the illustration merely shows how the invention may be applied. In forming the parts they are arranged so that certain parts may be used in a double capacity, namely, as parts of a brooder and-parts of an incubator.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a shed or housing of any kind which may be divided'into rooms ormerely into compartments by partition members2 and 3. In Fig. 1 three compartments, namely compartments 4:, 5 and 6, are provided, which compartments are arranged to receive brooders which are heated froma heating member 7 which may be any suitable form of boiler for heating water, the same being arranged in a housing 8 at one end of the shed 1. From the heating member 7 a supply pipe 9 extends and also a return pipe 10. Arranged in each of the compartments 4, 5 and .6 is a brooder, shown more in detail in Figs. 2 and 3, said brooders being provided with a. heater in the form of a radiator 11.

The radiator 11 is provided with a bottom header 12 and a top header 13, each of said headers having an opening 14 therein. The bottom header 12 is connected by pipes 15 and 16 to the pipes 9 and 10, respectively, so that there may be a free circulation of heated water. A valve 17 is interposed in pipe 15, said valve being operated by a lever 18 for opening and closing the same, said lever being pivoted at 19 to a support 20. A link 21 is pivotally connected to lever 18 for actuating the same, said link being in turn pivotally connected at 22 to a thermostat lever 23 pivotally mounted at 24 to a support 25. Support 25 is clamped by a suitable screw 26 to a bracket 27. If desired the support 25 may be 'moved around the bracket for securing the proper adjustment, after which it is fixed by tightening the screw 26.

The lever 23 is pivotally connected at one end to a thermostatic diaphragm 28, which diaphragm is also connected with bracket 27, and at the other end to a link or rod 29, which link or rod is connected with a lid 30, which lid is designed to cover a pipe 31 ex- 5 tending upwardly from a cold air duct 32 to a position in the aperture 14 of header 12. lVhen the temperature in the brooder is higher than is desirable the thermostatic diaphragm 28 will naturally expand and will actuate lever 23 so that link 21 will be raised and also link 29, thus moving lid 30 off of the cold air pipe 31 and causing lever 18 to actuate valve 17 for shutting off the incoming warm water. In this way fresh cool air is provided interiorly of the radiator and a less quantity of heated water is supplied. \Vhen the correct temperature has been reached the thermostatic diaphragm 28 will naturally contract. said contraction be- 20 ing gradual so that the lid 30 will gradually .move to a closed or almost closed position and the valve 17 will gradually move to an open or almost open position. In fact, the movement of these members is according to the degree of heat desired and the temperature exteriorly of the brooder.

In order that the heat radiated by the radiator 11 may not have entrance at one point but may be more evenly distributed.

a protecting sleeve .33 is provided which surrounds the radiator and rests on the bottom 34 so that the heated air must pass upwardly into the hover 35 and from thence downwardly into the space inelosed by the 35 curtain 36. The curtain 36 is provided with a rod or bar 37 which preferably is formed in a circle and over which the curtain material 38 is folded. The frame 39 is connected with the curtain 36 by any suitable 40 means, as for instance, by clamping screws as shown in Fig. 3. In order to connect the hover 35 with the curtain 36 lifting bars 40 are fitted into blocks 41 (Fig. 2)v and extend through slots in the hover so as to overlap the frame 3!), as shown in Fig. 3, whereby whenever the frame is raised the hover also will be raised.

Cables 42 are connected to the frame 39 preferably at the point where the frame engages the curtain 36. The various cables 42 are brought together and secured centrally at a point above the hover, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1, so that a single lifting cable 43 may be connected thereto and may be passed over pulleys or sheaves 44 and 45. A weight 46 is connected to the end of cable 43 opposite that connected with the cables 42, said weight acting as a counterbalance for the hover and the curtain. As shown in Fig. 1 the curtain may be raised independently or may be raised in connection with the hover by merely moving the lifting bars 40 in or out as the case may be so that the same may engage or may be free of the frame 39. A

In Figs. 4 and 5 will be seen a preferred form of the invention in which the brooder is adapted to be used as an incubator. When used for this purpose the construction of the brooder is not changed but an auxiliary 7O curtain 47 is secured to the periphery of the hover and incloses the pan 48 though it is preferably spaced a short distance therefrom. This prevents any draft on the eggs and allows the radiator 11 to maintain the heat at an even temperature adjacent the eggs. The pan 48 is provided with a wire mesh bottom 49, which bottom is supported by a plurality of bars or arms 50 having a horizontal. section for supporting the wire bottom 49, and an upwardly bent section which projects over the radiator 11, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the same may be secured to a plate 51. The plate 51. and in fact, the entire pan 48 may be applied and removed at any time as it is not directly connected with any of the associated parts but merelv-rtsts upon the radiator. The pan is placed on plate 51, said pan being designed to contain sand 53 which is prefer ably maintained wet so that there will be ample moisture for the It is of course understood that additional water must be supplied to pan 52 from'time to time. The hover 35 is provided with a door 54 through 5 which the hand of an operator may be passed for regulating the thermostat or for adjusting any part of the incubator or brooder.

It is of course understood that the device can be used first as an incubator, then as a combined incubator and brooder, or as abrooder alone. It will be seen from Fig. 4 that the bottom edge of the curtain material 36 is spaced a short distance above the floor but if desired the curtain may be lowered so asito engage the floor and thereby prevent drafts, though ordinarily this is not necessary as the heat naturally collects in the hover 35 and is projected down and held in proper place by the auxiliary curtain 47.

By-arranging the radiators as described and by the use of the regulating thermostats therefor, a proper even temperature may be had either for the incubator or the brooder. Also, it is evident that a brooder could be arranged next to an incubator without affecting each other. It will be seen that the curtain 36 is spaced a short distance from the periphery of the hover whereby when the curtain is lowered so as to engage the floor, or to a position near the floor, an inclosure will be provided which will cast a shadow practically from one edge of the curtain to the other. This shadow is caused by the curtainand also by the hover so that when the chicks pass beneath the curtain they will be in a comparatively dark place but a place supplied with fresh air and also heat. This will prevent the chicks climbing up on each other and thereby smothering part of their number. It is well known that chicks will seek the'darli or shady side of a hover or brooder of any ind and by providing a hover as described with a curtain as shown particularly in Fig. 2, a shadow is cast practically over the entire space so that the chicks will remain distributed to such an extent as not to unduly crowd each other.

What I claim is: 1. In a brooder of the character described, a hover, a surrounding curtain therefor spaced therefrom, bars connected with said hover and said curtain, and means connected with said curtain for supporting the same, the hover being sup orted by the same means as the curtain through said bars.

2. In a brooder. of the character described, a hover formed substantially conical in shape, means for providing heat, said means being arranged below the hover, a curtain surrounding the hover and spaced therefrom, means for supporting the curtain, and means for connecting the curtain with the hover whereby the hover may be supported and raised simultaneously with the curtain.

3. In a brooder ofthe character described, a hover, a heater arranged therebelow, a curtain surrounding said hover and extending to a point adjacent the ground, a supporting cable connected with said curtain, a frame connected with said curtain, bars mounted on the hover overlapping said frame, sheaves or pulleys arranged above the hover over which said supporting cable extends, and a counterbalancing weight con nected to the end of the supporting cable whereby the hover and parts connected therewith may be raised and held elevated.

4. In a brooder of the character described, a hover, a curtain surrounding said hover, said curtain being provided with an encircling member acting as a frame, a lifting frame rigidly secured to said first mentioned frame, lifting members connected with said lifting frame, and sliding bars mounted in said hover adapted to be slidingly moved so as to extend to said second mentioned frame,

whereby when said curtain is raised said hover will also be raised.

5. In a device of the character described, a brooder construction which includes a hover and a heating member, an egg receiving pan supported by said heating member, a curtain surrounding said pan for preventing drafts from passing over the eggs in the pan, and a humidor arranged above the heating member.

6. In a device of the character described, a hover, a curtain iconn ected with the periphery thereof and extending downwardly therefrom, a brooder curtain surrounding the first mentioned curtain and extending down to near the floor, a heater arranged centrally of the hover and extending to a point below the top'thereof, a pan in the shape of a ring encircling saidheater, said pan having supporting arms extending to a position above-the heater, a plate connecting said arms, said plate resting on said heater whereby the pan is supported, and means for carrying a humidifying agent supported by said pan for supplying moisture for both eggs and chickens.

7. In a device of the character described, a hover, a comparatively large curtainsurrounding said hover and arranged to reach to the floor, an auxiliary curtain connected with said hover and extending downwardly therefrom for a comparatively short distance, a pan formed as a ring arranged substantially in the same horizontal plane as the lower part of said second mentioned curtain, said pan being formed of a wire mesh bottom and supporting bars, a'heater extending through said pan and engaging part of sand supporting bars, and a humidor arranged in the upper part of said hover.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY CHARLESWORTH.

Witnesses:

A. L. Krrcnm, G. H. EMSLIE. 

